Another Werchter Sellout

Live Nation Belgium chief Herman Schueremans may have felt the omens weren’t good for this year’s Rock Werchter, after moving the festival forward by a week to accommodate Foo Fighters touring plans and then losing the act altogether to frontman Dave Grohl’s injury.

Photo: Jason Asare

But an 88,000-per-day sellout crowd and glorious weather soon put paid to any worries on that score, as the festival reinforced its position as being among the very best in the world.

Most visitors stayed for all four days and there were 54,000 on the campsites. The crowd was also able to experience some more site improvements, which included a revamped rest and relaxation zone with a wider choice of beverage stalls and vacuum toilets that actually had porcelain furniture. These upgrades (and the lineup) were enough to attract some top Belgian politicians, including justice minister Koen Geens and social affairs minister Maggie De Block.

A week earlier Graspop Metal Meeting (June 19-21), Belgium’s heaviest fest, celebrated its 20th anniversary and attracted 152,000 across three days. The acts keeping Rock Werchter at the top of the pile June 25-28 included Florence & The Machine, Muse, The Prodigy, Pharrell Williams, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Kasabian, and Chemical Brothers.

The Graspop lineup had Scorpions, Motorhead, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Judas Priest, Faith No More, and Slipknot.